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The story of the Western Sydney Wanderers is nothing short of a pleasant dream from which no one wants to awake.
Except if you are a Sydney FC fan, that is.
However, with that said, the cross-town rivalry will be put on hold this weekend – the men in red and black having captured the hearts and minds of the entire city.
Fantasies and reality are mutually exclusive. However the Wanderers have continuously defied all logic this season, and have so once more.
Forged from the rubble of the now-defunct Gold Coast United, the Wanderers consistently proved they were far from a squad merely making up the numbers.
So despite looking forward to Sunday’s grand final, we may look back at the season-that-was and learn many a thing from the competitions’ new comers.
From the outset, we knew this team had a desire to make a name for themselves.
Although they resisted the initial plans to guise the statue of the Parramatta Eels great Ray Price in their already-iconic red and black hoops, followers of the game knew the Wanderers were out to create their own history.
And haven’t they what?
Steven Spielberg himself could not have scripted the amazing theatrics we’ve been treated to through out the season.
From the goals that made us gasp, to boasting travelling support not witnessed since the saviour himself rode into Jerusalem, the Wanderers have already etched themselves into the history books – regardless of the result come full-time on Sunday.
With the ledger between remaining two sides squared at one win a piece, the season’s climax looks likely to be hotly contested – and appropriately so.
The Wanderers got the better of the Mariners in their most recent clash in a rain-soaked affair at the Bluetongue Stadium.
That night, we learnt that the two sides play with a very similar style, sitting back in defence before pouncing upon the opposition with swift counter attacking raids.
We learnt that the Wanderers were the real deal.
The defensive resilience Western Sydney have consistently shown through out the season proper has been nothing short of admirable, and it will need to stand at these heights once more this weekend.
However, the big occasion can get the better of even the most consistent of players.
Leading the competition in defensive clearances, Wanderers back Nikolai Topor-Stanley felt the pressure of the big stage, gifting Del Piero the easiest of chances in the latest instalment of the Sydney derby.
He learnt that the big games require well thought out and properly executed plays – and will no doubt be the beneficiary of such come Sunday.
We’ve all witnessed the support Western Sydney has generated for this team. A team they could now truly call their own.
We’ve learnt that this side will be a huge force to be reckoned with in the future.
So come the call of 90 minutes this Sunday, let’s hit snooze. The Australian football community doesn’t want to wake up just yet.
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